Best 11+ apps for kids
The apps reviewed are not produced or distributed by TheSchoolRun. All details were correct when we reviewed them, but please note that some apps can be very short-lived and may become unavailable to download. We are unable to guarantee that the app listings we provide are completely up-to-date at all times.
Best 11+ bundle
11+ Apps – Complete Bundle by Sangeetha Bhatta, £25.99, Apple and Android*
If you’re looking for all the 11+ preparation materials your child needs in one handy bundle, look no further than this package of seven brilliant learning apps.
It includes practice materials covering VR, NVR, vocabulary and maths, plus mock papers for English and maths. All of the question types and areas of knowledge that could potentially crop up in the actual 11+ exam are ticked off, with options for your child to practise skills, take timed papers, retry incorrectly answered questions, and check their progress on interactive pie charts.
Each app is also available to buy separately if your child needs to focus on specific areas, with prices ranging from £2.99 to £6.99.
* These apps are not available as a complete bundle for Android, but can be purchased individually. Search for Webrich Software.
Best for practising cloze questions
11 Plus Cloze, £3.99, Apple
Your child will encounter a variety of question types in their 11+, but one of the most common is the cloze question, where they have to fill in the blank in a sentence.
Developed by a teacher with 15 years’ experience in preparing children for the 11+, this app will help your child get used to answering cloze questions. It covers a range of literacy areas, including word meanings, homophones and idiom.
There are over 120 questions with multiple choice answers, condensed into randomly generated 10-question quizzes. At the end of each quiz your child can review their score and check which answers they got wrong. There’s also a useful selection of cloze test tips in the About section to help them do their best.
Prepare Your Child For The 11+ Exam
- Essential 11+ English and maths skills
- Verbal and non-verbal reasoning questions
- Reading comprehension worksheets & CLOZE tests
Best for expanding vocabulary
11+ Vocabulary Builder by The Tutors, £4.99, Apple
A wide vocabulary is fundamental to 11+ success. 11+ Vocabulary Builder does exactly what it says on the tin, testing your child on an enormous 1375 words.
The app groups word problems into different categories, including alphabet order, anagram pairs, compound words, opposite meanings, similar meanings, spelling errors and more.
There are five practice tests in each category, each with 25 questions, plus 55 full tests with 50 questions each, designed to replicate the 11+ exam.
Best for times tables practice
Squeebles Times Tables, £3.99, Apple and Android
Although it’s not intended specifically for 11+ preparation, Squeebles Times Tables is a great way for your child to build speed and fluency with their times tables, which underpin so many of the maths questions that they’ll be asked in their entrance exams.
The app helps your child practise times tables in a variety of different formats, including out of sequence, word problems and inverse operations. If they get a calculation wrong, it’s added to the Tricky Tables section for extra practice. There’s also an Extreme challenge where they can tackle 13, 14 and 15 times tables: the sort of extended knowledge that’s needed for the 11+.
In return for practising their tables, your child can collect different Squeebles characters to play with, and also earn credit to play the arcade-style Bubble-Ball game as a reward for their efforts.
Best for maths revision
Train Your Brain Maths Review, £2.99, Apple
Unlike some apps, which simply fire questions at your child, Train Your Brain Maths Review includes clear explanations for each type of problem, helping them get to grips with core 11+ maths concepts.
The app features 32 different topics, grouped into five sections: number facts, using numbers, data handling, shapes and units and measures. Each topic has quick revision notes – which your child can recap on at any point – followed by a 10-question quiz.
Every incorrectly answered question has a clear explanation of how to solve the problem, and there are mock tests for your child to attempt when they feel ready, plus a progress meter so they can see how they’re getting on.
Best resource for parents
11 Plus: Your 11 Plus Helper, free, Apple
Finding out about grammar schools in your area and keeping abreast of important dates can be hard work. Your 11 Plus Helper brings much of this information together in one app, so everything you need to know is in the palm of your hand.
It lets you browse grammar and independent schools across the country, by area, and read key information about each one. You can then ‘favourite’ your preferred schools to receive notifications about key dates, and phone or email them with enquiries from within the app.
There are resources on sitting the 11+ and forums where you can chat to other parents, although these are still in their infancy. A tutor-finding section is also under development, and, once complete, it aims to help you find and contact tutors in your area.
